We’ve gone through three elections, presidential and parliamentary. And what do we find? Do we find a flourishing (1) civil society, a vigorous rule of law and good security? No. What we find in Afghanistan is a judiciary that is weak and corrupt, a very (2) limited civil society which is largely (3) ineffective, a media which is beginning to get onto its feet but a government that’s deeply (4) unpopular (5), perceived as being deeply corrupt, and security that is shocking, security that’s terrible. […]

Well, what is the answer to this? Is the answer to just give up on the idea of democracy? Well, obviously not. It would be absurd if we were to engage again (6) in the kind of operations we were engaged in in Iraq and Afghanistan – if we were to suddenly (7) find ourselves in a situation in which we were imposing anything other than a democratic system.

I go back inside and poke around inside the fridge. There is some leftover Chinese food and I have this (1) for dinner, while Elsie’s out. I do some (2) work at my laptop until the light from the screen is the only light coming from inside the room. I wonder where she (3) is and check my (4) phone. It’s unlike her (5) not to let me (6) know where she is or where she’s going.

So little Billy goes to school, and he sits down and the teacher says, “What does your father do?” And little
Billy says, “My father plays the piano in an opium den.” So the teacher rings up the parents, and says,

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“Very shocking story from little Billy today. Just heard that he claimed that you play the piano in an opium
den.” And the father says, “I’m very sorry. Yes, it’s true, I lied. But how can I tell an eight-year-old boy that
his father is a politician?”

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Now, as a politician myself, standing in front of you, or indeed, meeting any stranger anywhere in the
world, when I eventually reveal the nature of my profession, they look at me as though I’m somewhere
between a snake, a monkey and an iguana, and through all of this, I feel, strongly, that something is going

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wrong. Four hundred years of maturing democracy, colleagues in Parliament who seem to me, as
individuals, reasonably impressive, an increasingly educated, energetic, informed population, and yet a
deep, deep sense of disappointment.

Opgave 5

Besvar enten opgave 5A eller opgave 5B

Assignment 5A – Fiction

Write an analytical essay (800-1200 words) in which you analyse and interpret Emma Cleary’s short story “Lightbox”.

Part of your essay must focus on the narrative technique and on the title.

In your essay you must include references to the short story. You may use information from the internet in your essay. All sources must be in English and must be documented.